Maple Leafs might give up on $3.5 million trade acquisition after just one season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Brandon Carlo trade was supposed to work out better than this.

A highly intriguing divisional rivalry sets the tone for the return of the NHL, as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

The Leafs could certainly wait to move Ekman-Larsson and/or Carlo in the offseason, but teams tend to be more reckless, and thus willing to overpay, in the days and weeks before the deadline. The Leafs, hurt by that desperation last spring, can take advantage of it this spring in a bid to reload for next season.

The Maple Leafs have three such players listed in a new article by ESPN's Greg Wyshynski: McMann is maybe the most popular of this archetype in the entire league. MORE: Sidney Crosby breaks silence on injury, Olympics and rest of Penguins' season

The Toronto Maple Leafs were right to nix a 1-for-1 swap with the Edmonton Oilers as both clubs are in different places right now. The post Maple Leafs Right to Nix 1-for-1 Swap with Oilers appeared first on Heavy Sports.

Toronto Maple Leafs (27-22-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Florida Panthers (29-25-3, in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Panthers -162, Maple Leafs +137;

Point gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead that stuck at 7:07 of the second period when he received a pass from Charle-Edouard D'Astous at the hashmarks and held the puck through the slot, scoring on the forehand on Stolarz's short side.

The newest round of Toronto Maple Leafs rumors suggest that the team's strategy could come down to one particular thing.